UCLA Neuroscience Program Ph.D. Admissions Neuroscience Faculty UCLA and Beyond  



Barney Schlinger
Steroid Synthesis and Action in the Vertebrate CNS

Email Address:  schlinge@lifesci.ucla.edu

Work Address:
LSB
LSB
Phone Numbers:
(310) 825-4170 Laboratory
(310) 825-5716 Office

Selected Publications:

Schlinger, B.A. and E. Brenowitz Neural and Hormonal Control of Birdsong.. In Hormones, Brain and Behavior 2002; Vol 2: 799-839.
Schlinger, B.A., K.K. Soma and S. London. Neurosteriods and brain sexual differentiation.. Trends in Neuroscience 2001; 24: 429-431.
Schlinger, B.A., Soma, K., and Saldanha, C. Perspective in Ornithology: Advances in avian behavioral endocrinology.. The Auk 2001; 118: 283-289.
Saldanha, C.J., M.J. Tuerk, Y-H Kim, A.O. Fernandes, A.P. Arnold and B.A. Schlinger The distribution and regulation of aromatase expression in the zebra finch revealed with a specific antibody.. Journal of Comparative Neurology 2000; 423: 619-630.
Schlinger, B.A., C. Greco and A.H. Bass. Aromatase activity in hindbrain vocal control region: Divergence between "singing" and "sneaking" males.. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: B. 1999; 266: 131-136.
Schultz, J.D. and B.A. Schlinger Widespread accumulation of 3H-testosterone in the spinal cord of a wild bird with an elaborate courtship display.. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 1999; 96: 10432-10436.
Carlisle, H.J., T.Hales, B.A. Schlinger Characterization of Neuronal Zebra Finch GABA-A Receptors.. Journal of Comparative Physiology A.. 1998; 182: 531-538.
Schlinger, B.A. Sexual Differentiation of Avian Brain and Behavior: Current views on gonadal hormone-dependent and independent mechnisms.. Annual Review of Physiology 1998; 60: 407-429.
Schultz, JD Hertel, F Bauch, M Schlinger, BA Adaptations for rapid and forceful contraction in wing muscles of the male golden-collared manakin: sex and species comparisons.. Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology. . 2001; 187(9): 677-84.
Schlinger, BA Schultz, JD Hertel, F Neuromuscular and endocrine control of an avian courtship behavior.. Hormones and behavior. . 2001; 40(2): 276-80.
Schlinger, BA Sex steroids and their actions on the birdsong system.. Journal of neurobiology. . 1997; 33(5): 619-31.
Research Interest:

My laboratory in interested in the hormonal control of brain and behavior. Steroid hormones influence the CNS in diverse ways, from regulating neuronal transcription, to influencing cell signaling pathways, to direct modulation of neurotransmitter receptor ion channels. The traditional view is that neurally active steroids come from the gonads and adrenals, but we and others have evidence that in some cases, steroids can be synthesized directly in the brain. We are testing this hypothesis in songbirds that have a variety of well-characterized endpoints of steroid action on brain including organizing neural circuits developmentally, activating circuits and stimulating persistent neural plasticity in adults. We utilize molecular, biochemical and neuroanatomical approaches to explore the expression, activity and function of steroid synthetic enzymes. In addition, we do field research on birds, including one called the Golden-collared manakin that lives in the rainforests of Panama. Males of this species have a remarkable, acrobatic and noisy courtship display. We study how hormones act on the brain, spinal cord and peripheral muscles to give males the ability to perform these elaborate displays.